Daily Routine, Rapid Progress

Two months later.

In the potion room, Ian processed the thornvine bast fibers and tossed them into the boiling Oak Distillate.

The pale red liquid began reacting violently under the catalysis of Magic Power. Bubbles churned continuously, giving off a rich scent of rock and rust.

His Mental Power threaded into the crucible like silk, skillfully guiding the Rock Bear Blood Essence as it slowly melted.

Strands of golden bloodline essence were released, weaving and swimming through the solution.

"Condense!"

Ian softly uttered several syllables. His hand seals shifted, and his Mental Power suddenly tightened.

The boiling liquid instantly calmed, its murky dark-red color transforming into a clear, vivid crimson.

The fine threads within became even more active and densely packed.

[Rock Bear Potion Proficiency +1]

[Rock Bear Potion: Beginner (175/400)]

Ian looked at the newly brewed potion in his hand, satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

The golden bloodline threads were nearly twice as dense as before, which meant a substantial increase in potency.

Some time ago, his Bloodline Purification Art had entered the proficient stage.

The Blood Essence he extracted contained far more supernatural information than before, so the potions he brewed were more effective as well.

He placed the potion into the Thermostat Box, which was already neatly filled with all kinds of potions.

There were Limit Break versions of Awakening Potion, beginner-level Rock Bear Potions, and proficient-level Spirit-Awakening Potions.

In one corner of the box were several especially eye-catching potent versions of Rock Bear Potion.

These were the results of his work over the past two months. Aside from those that could not yet be exposed, he would sell the rest through Starleaf's channels in exchange for a large number of magic stones.

After tidying up the table, Ian began brewing Spirit-Awakening Potion again.

Its formula was considerably more complex than that of Awakening Potion. The main ingredients, Starlight Vine and Flowerless Vine, were both intermediate potions ingredients and rather expensive.

Since it was also a Meditation Potion, and his Awakening Potion proficiency had already reached the Limit Break level, Spirit-Awakening Potion had taken very little time to progress from first learning it to the beginner stage. It was now at the proficient level.

On the table lay processed Starlight Grass powder, Flowerless Vine extract, and a small bottle of precious Nightdew Essence.

Ian closed his eyes and focused for three seconds. When he opened them again, his gaze was calm.

He first sprinkled the Starlight Grass powder evenly into a silver crucible, infused it with a faint Magic Power sensing frequency, then picked up the Flowerless Vine extract and slowly dripped it in...

This was the most critical stage. It had to be added one drop at a time, allowing the resonance frequencies of the two substances to gradually converge...

As the other ingredients were continuously added, Ian's mind became highly focused as he sensed the subtle energy fluctuations within the crucible.

When the Nightdew Essence completely fused in, starlight suddenly flared within the crucible, producing a pleasant hum.

"Now!"

Ian swiftly formed three complex hand seals. At the same time, his Mental Power shot forth and descended like a silken net, guiding the final stage of the potion's formation.

Within the crucible, starlight, vine liquid, and nightdew intertwined, turning into a pale silver mist. The mist slowly contracted and condensed, eventually settling into less than half a bottle of silver-blue liquid glittering with tiny stars.

[Spirit-Awakening Potion Proficiency +1]

[Spirit-Awakening Potion: Proficient (216/400)]

Ian let out a light breath. Compared to practicing wizardry, brewing potions was still far more exhausting.

Yet with every success, his understanding of Potion Studies deepened another step.

Spirit-Awakening Potion enhanced meditation by roughly fifty percent more than an ordinary Awakening Potion.

He had taken it once, but its effects still could not compare to his Limit Break version of Awakening Potion.

He still did not dare reveal it and could only enjoy it by himself.

That afternoon, Ian went to his personal wizardry practice room.

The walls and floor were covered in a layer of energy-absorbing material. Several specially made wizardry targets stood in the corners, their surfaces marked with pits of varying sizes.

Ian steadied himself, and a thought flickered through his mind.

"Kryst'thal!"

The incantation was completed almost instantly, his hand seals flowing as naturally as instinct.

A translucent energy shield unfolded before him, larger and more solid than it had been two months ago.

Ian controlled the shield as it rapidly shifted and deformed before him. Slowly, its curved surface bent and expanded.

In the end, it covered most of his body, but a palm-width gap still remained, refusing to close.

He did not mind. With a withdrawal of Mental Power, the shield vanished. He immediately cast it again, repeating the process until a notification appeared at the corner of his vision.

[Crystal Energy Barrier Proficiency +1]

[Crystal Energy Barrier: Mastery (581/800)]

Ian nodded to himself and looked up at the ceiling.

"Vigilantia."

An invisible eye of energy appeared twenty meters away in the room. The instant its eyeball formed, it swept rapidly across the surroundings like the eye of a living person.

He slightly narrowed his eyes, linking his Mental Power to the "eyeball" and observing everything within its field of view.

Dust drifting in the corners, leaves swaying outside the window, blemishes on the faces of pedestrians on the distant street, faint energy fluctuations from apprentices...

As time passed, Eye of Vigilance had remained active for more than half an hour.

[Eye of Vigilance Proficiency +1]

[Eye of Vigilance: Mastery (248/800)]

The eye was now unaffected by day or night and could roughly detect energy fluctuations, greatly increasing its practicality.

Its only flaw was that it could be easily detected by Mental Power, and it was especially fragile.

Ian turned his gaze toward the target again. Without warning, two dark-blue ice spikes formed in midair.

They shot toward the target with two sharp whistles. Bang! Bang! The target was quickly encased in a thick layer of ice.

Fine ice crystals continuously grew within the frozen layer, strengthening its binding effect.

Lesser Frost Ray's piercing power, flight speed, and freezing intensity had all increased by nearly thirty percent compared to before.

With his mental state intact, he could cast it more than twenty times at full power!

After two Limit Breaks, his Mental Power had become more condensed, allowing him to unleash greater power with less Mental Power.

Finally came Scorching Ray, the spell Ian had been focusing on recently.

"Ignis!"

A blazing orange-red ray burst from his fingertips, and a faint scorched smell filled the air.

Guided by Ian's Mental Power, it struck another target. With a bang, it left behind a fist-sized depression, its edges showing signs of melting.

Thanks to his Light Attribute Affinity, this wizardry's proficiency had risen rapidly. It was now close to the mastery stage.

For the next stretch of time, Ian alternated between casting the two rays. The target shifted between freezing cold and searing heat until it gradually could no longer bear the strain, emitting a series of warning beeps.

[Scorching Ray Proficiency +1]

[Scorching Ray: Proficient (357/400)]

Ian practiced again and again. Sometimes he lowered his head in thought, continuously refining his technique. Whenever he grew tired, he sat down to meditate and recover.

By evening, he returned to his bedroom and began his regular meditation.

When all of the day's training was complete, Ian stirred his thoughts and opened the Status Panel.

[Realm: Intermediate Wizard Apprentice (71%)]

[Talent: Medium Light Attribute Affinity]

[Skills: Star-Moon Lower Meditation Method: Mastery (352/800)

Cleansing Spell (Beginner) Light Spell (Beginner) Ignition Spell (Beginner)

Other skills omitted...]

Looking at the skills whose progress had surged, Ian's heart filled with pride.

Cleansing Spell, Light Spell, and Ignition Spell were everyday minor wizardries. After collecting them, Ian had not spent any time practicing them.

Recently, he had been consuming Limit Break versions of Awakening Potion as if they cost nothing, and slight drug resistance had begun to appear.

"Still not enough." Ian muttered, a bright gleam flashing in his eyes.

"I need to be faster, stronger... Advanced Apprentice... Formal Wizard..."

Just as he put away the Status Panel and was about to rest, faint footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard.

Ian's heart stirred. His fingers quickly formed hand seals as he began an incantation, sending an invisible eye into the air.

"Hm?" When he saw who had arrived, he quickly left his bedroom and opened the courtyard gate.

Four travel-worn figures stood outside. They were Kenna's team, who had been gone for nearly three months.

Kenna, Wade, Robert, and Monica all looked exhausted. Their robes were badly torn, their hair was a tangled mess, and Wade's right arm was wrapped in bandages.

Yet in all four of their eyes was the relief of survivors who had escaped disaster.